


Til Death Do Us Part

by McGlamorous



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, M/M, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Some angst, Technically?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-01 07:18:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14515236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McGlamorous/pseuds/McGlamorous
Summary: Louvel wanted the simple things in life, her family, her job...and now it was gone. Follow her as she tries to find her son, her place in this world, and the friends that will help her make sense of this brave new world.(This might be slow to update, depends on how busy I get but I've been sitting on this first chapter for a while and I'm ready to commit to it I think.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome, welcome, welcome  
> One and All  
> to a long wait probably. I'm...not the best at regular updates, but recently I completed the main storyline on Louvel's save and I've been itching to finally write about it. I've had the first chapter drafted, and honestly, most of the rest of the story outlined, since I started playing Fallout 4 but I've always been hesitant to start any long-term projects because of how lazy I can get. But! I'm going to do my best with this one, and the eventual Gaagii story once I complete their save as well! For now, here's the first chapter of Louvel's life!

It was a typical Thursday afternoon. I was lounging on the couch with my dog’s head in my lap and a good book in hand. I scratched Rune’s back absentmindedly as my eyes moving back and forth across the pages, a smile on my lips. Codsworth was a gentle hum in the background, motoring from room to room, making sure everything was in order. He’d become used to my ritual of reading for a few hours after work before David came home, and kept to himself. Every so often he would come close, silently waiting to see if I needed anything before moving on. He did so now with a sound similar to someone clearing their throat. “Sir shall be home soon, miss. Would you like me to start dinner?”

I dismissed him with a nod, turning to the mutt in my lap. “Alright, darling, I have to get up now.” There was a grumble, but she didn’t move. “Rune…” I said, a bit more sternly. A small, high-pitched bark was her response, and her tail began to thump against the couch cushion, stirring up a puff of brown fur. Codsworth had protested letting her on the furniture the first few days he’d been around, complaining of fur and potential scratches, but I could almost feel the joy rolling off him as he cleaned so I ignored the half-hearted gripe.

I stretched out, electing another grumble from my fuzzy companion as she nipped at my hand. She wiggled into a sitting position, yawning in protest at her nap being interrupted, her jaw wide, her teeth gleaming. “I know baby girl...but it’s almost time for David to get home, and you know how he is.” She sneezed in agreement, but instead of hopping down from her perch she made a playful swipe at my arm.

“Is it gonna be one of those days?” I grumbled. Sometimes I had to wrestle her off the couch, which was easier said than done when your dog was half your weight and all muscle. Rune barked, a false threat in her tone, her wagging tail giving her away. She was too playful for her own good, two dominant breeds rolled into one lean, mean, fierce ball of rage and muscle. She never inflicted harm aside from the occasional scratch, which was my fault for not keeping her nails trimmed, but she barked and growled and snarled as if she were really fighting.

I didn’t mind most of the time, but when she put in the effort, Rune could get the upper hand pretty quick. David never understood our play time, always throwing Rune in her cage as soon as she made a noise. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t like her. He was gentle whenever she was calm, petting her and talking sweetly, but he was used to well-trained dogs that kept to themselves, not hyper dogs that stuck to their owners like glue and liked to roughhouse.

David was from a richer family, so he was used to everything being ‘perfect’, something meeting me and going to war had torn apart. He was still adapting to the idea that the world may not be what he’d expected, but it had its own charms, so I didn’t fault him for wanting some things in life to continue being ‘perfect’, even if it meant my dog being in a cage when she got too riled up.

There was, however, a line of how much I’d let slide. Today, that line was crossed.

“You _do not_ come in here and hit _my_ dog!”

“Well, _your dog_ shouldn’t be attacking you like that! Look at your arm! You’re all scratched up now!”

“Scratches heal and it was an accident! She was playing!”

We argued for almost an hour, Rune laying quietly in her cage. She had her tail curled between her legs, her eyes trailing me. We only stopped when Codsworth announced dinner was ready and did sir wish for a bath to be drawn once he was done?

“Yeah. Thanks.”

We were silent for the rest of the night, David going to his bath as I went for my book in the living room. I curled up by Rune’s cage and read quietly to her, smiling as her tail began to thump softly behind me. I looked over to see her eyes closed, the tension finally seeping out of her body. I hated making her worry, but sometimes David took things too far. I might have been the loving housewife, but I was not afraid of calling him out on his crap.

I unconsciously shifted a hand onto my stomach, hoping that my recent news would be enough to calm him down.

* * *

 I was right. Things had calmed down...for a while. Baby Shaun had been born with only a minor problem: my body being too small to have a natural birth for a 10-pound baby. With my hormones out of commission for a while, I was scared of this small human that had wiggled its way into my home. It took a few months for me to remember that Shaun was my child, something I’d wanted for years. After a day of being alone together, I finally felt the motherly love.

Rune acclimated to the new addition to the family quickly, keeping quiet whenever he was sleeping and being gentle whenever he was out of the crib. David calmed down. The joys of fatherhood let him forget the ghosts of his past and all those dark things he carried home after the war.

I was giddy at finally having the happy family I’d been trying to build.

Until the day Shaun wouldn’t stop crying.

We passed him back and forth, set him in his crib, his bouncy seat, with Codsworth...nothing was working. His diaper was clean, he didn’t want food, and he didn’t need burping. We had just taken him to the doctor, so we knew he wasn’t sick, but he wouldn’t. Stop. Crying.

“Maybe-”

“No.”

“She didn’t even-”

“I said no,”

“David it’s the only-”

“Dammit, woman, I said no!”

He hadn’t meant to do it, I know. War had made him angry, made him violent. I touched my eye, wincing at the sting, and looked to see blood on my fingertips.

His eyes were wide, looking down at his hands. He had thrown them up in frustration, the toy he’d been holding slipped from his grip. An accident. David dropped to his knees and curled in on himself. Codsworth hummed close with the wailing Shaun, offering assistance.

“Get me rubbing alcohol and the butterfly bandages, please. I’ll be there in a minute let me just…” Codsworth understood and moved towards the bathroom as I knelt beside my sobbing husband. “David…”

“Don’t...don’t touch me...I don’t deserve your comfort…” He flinched away from my hand, but I followed his movement, slowly running my hand through his dark hair.

“Hush now…” I whispered, “It’s alright, mon petit agneau…” Codsworth must have set Shaun down because when he came back to the living room he was only holding the first aid kit. I waved him away for the moment, “It was an accident sweetheart…”

David shook his head, his tears soaking through the fabric of my dress, “Doesn’t matter…” he muttered, “I vowed to take c-care of you. How c-can I do that when I-I’m the one hurting you?”

I gave a quick tug to his hair, forcing him to look up at me. “I’m alright, David. Please...calm down.”

His hazel eyes scanned my face, lingering on the trail of blood, but he would find nothing but worry for him in my eyes. There is no hate, no fear, only concern for him. Fresh tears fell down his cheeks as he launched himself into my open arms. He peppered my neck and covered shoulder with kisses, muttering apologies and promises between sobs.

I held him until he was calm again, and when he finally let me go I stood, brushed off my dress, and marched into the living room. Codsworth moved out of my way as I made a beeline for Rune’s cage. I smiled as she ran to my husband’s side, sitting patiently until he looked at her before licking his cheek.

David sputtered, then began to laugh. He scratched her neck and hugged her close while I had Codsworth tend to the cut. It would scar, probably, but wouldn’t need stitches as far as I could tell. Shaun continued to cry in his crib. When Rune was finally released from David’s arms, she trotted back to the nursery and the crying ceased. David looked at me with an awed expression. I looked back with a gentle smile.

* * *

 Everything had been perfect after that. David got rid of the cage, Rune got two new dog beds, one in our room and one in Shaun’s. She was allowed on the furniture so long as she didn’t scratch it, and David made an effort to play around with her more.

I was curled up on the couch again with a new book, glancing over at David and Rune rolling around on the floor. Shaun was taking a nap in his crib with Codsworth watching over him.

This was their new normal.

The doorbell rang.

David was avoiding teeth so I got up. A man was there, ready to try and sell us on some new Vault thing that’s been talked about throughout the town. I got distracted by David’s laughter and agreed to whatever he was talking about without thinking. I thanked the man, waiting until he was off the porch before closing the door. Rune trotted over to my side, gruffing happily that she could have my attention again.

David was still sitting on the carpet, his hands in the air, “We were in the middle of playing and she just runs off! I see where your allegiances lie.”

We laughed and I gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ear. “It’s alright, honey, we all know you’re mama’s little girl.”

Codsworth gave a metallic chuckle, “speaking of mothers, I do believe Shaun would like your attention for a bit, mum."

I went to the nursery, finding Shaun’s favorite teddy bear had fallen on the floor nearby. I handed it to him, cooing softly. David followed after, leaning against the doorframe. “I got the mobile up and running, give it a spin.”

I gave it a few cranks and hummed along to the familiar tune. Shaun giggled and waved his hands at the spinning rockets.

Codsworth called from the living room, “Sir, Mum, you may want to see this…”

Bombs had been dropped in New York. That was so close to home...the next big city would be Boston. David ran to get Shaun, “Honey, we have to go. We need to get to the Vault. He said it was just up the hill, right?”

“I...yeah, yeah just…” I looked over at Codsworth. The Vault-Tec guy mentioned that their butler couldn’t join, but I’d come to see him as part of the family over the past few months.

“It has been a pleasure serving you, mum. But protecting your family is my number one priority, and if that means staying in this home while you find shelter nearby then that is what must be done. Please, for the sake of Master Shaun, go.” I hesitated, petting his smooth body with my hand and giving him a quick kiss. “Go, Mum, go!”

David continued to hold Shaun, already used to running with weight in his arm. I hadn’t thought about Rune’s training. She stayed close, stayed quiet, but she wouldn’t hesitate to attack if she felt anyone was a threat to me. Right now, I was keeping away from my neighbors as I weaved through the trees towards the soldiers.

As we neared the gates, it was obvious that I’d have to leave Rune behind. The soldier saw our names on the list, but wouldn’t let us pass with Rune by my side. I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around her neck, “I’m sorry sweetheart...but you’ve got to go home. You understand, right? You want to protect Shaun just as much as we do, dontcha girl?” I blinked away tears. Rune sneezed in agreement and licked my cheek. “Go home, baby girl. Codsworth will take care of you till we get back out, alright?”

Rune darted off back towards the neighborhood as we followed the soldiers to a platform. My heart sank as a nuke fell, the mushroom cloud bloomed in the sky and the aftershock spread like wildfire. Tears rolled down my cheeks as they lowered us into the vault.

David tried to reassure me, but I couldn’t hear him. Everything was blurry, the people around me, the odd scientific equipment, the noise…

I moved where they told me, and changed into the blue jumpsuit they handed me. David opted to hold Shaun while they went through decontamination, and I kissed both their cheeks. He ran his fingers through my hair before we stepped into the pods. I felt numb inside, and so very cold...then everything went black.

* * *

 There was talking, but I couldn’t focus on the words. Everything was still a blur. There were people outside the pods. A familiar voice pulled me from my half-woken state, snapping me to attention. _David_. I could see my husband struggling with some people in hazmat suits, trying to keep them away from Shaun. A shot rang out and David fell back into his seat, letting our baby fall into the hands of the suited figure. I clawed at the glass, trying to get the pod open, to save my baby, to check on my husband-

A man with a balding head and a scar across his face leaned close, "At least we still have the backup..."

I felt fear spike down my spine, or was it the cold? I tried to ignore the chill but my body reacted as it did before, slowing down until it stopped.

* * *

There was an alarm somewhere. It surrounded me but seemed...distant, muffled. I tried to look through the glass but there was so much ice. I was cold. So so cold…

The door to the pod opened. I hadn’t realized I was leaning against it until I collapsed on the ground. I saw a few drops of blood in front me and my eyes traveled north, wishing beyond all hope that what I’d seen before had been a bad dream. The drops were outside my husband’s pod. I scrambled off the floor, using the control panel to support my weight until my legs thawed out enough to hold me. I pushed a few random buttons, getting more and more annoyed at the beeping that told me I was wrong.

Finally, _finally_ , the beeping stopped and the pod clicked open. I took a few wobbly steps to look inside.

David was slumped down, his body perfectly preserved from the cold. His face was a mix of shock and fear, his beautiful hazel eyes glazed over, an angry red hole in his forehead.

I collapsed to the ground again, my legs giving out once more as a gut-wrenching sob ripped out of my throat. Blood slowly trickled out of the wound as the heat of the vault thawed his body. I sat there for a while, holding his lifeless hand against my cheek.

In anger I stood, locked his vault back, and began checking the others. _How could they have done this to us? We asked to be protected, not turned into experiments…_

Through some of the glass, I could see skeletons, as though the pods had stopped working long ago. All throughout the Vault, I was met only with death and eventually, the loneliness overtook the rage.

I sat at a metal table in what I assumed was supposed to be a mess hall. A gun was sitting next to me. My gaze trailed along the slightly rusted barrel. I’d found it near the bones of a guard if I was to go off what was left of his vest. It was so very tempting…

There was a scuttling sound down the hall. I grabbed the gun, the weapon unfamiliar in my hands, and pointed towards the doorway. “Who’s there?” I called.

There was an odd crackling noise and then a cockroach the size of a spaniel crawled into the room. I squealed, almost dropping the gun in my shock. The insect turned towards me and lept into the air. I was able to get a shot off before it landed on me, launching it a few feet away. I shot it one more time to be safe. There was more crackling, more scuttling, from the hall. I took cover near the door and leaned out to look, shooting two more roaches as they crawled along the floor and walls.

_I need to get out of here._

I picked the insects off one by one, making my way slowly through the doorways I remembered walking through before. _How long have we...I...been asleep?_

A pile of bones near the door had a pip-boy, which I slipped onto my wrist with practiced ease. It took a moment to boot up, the disuse apparent in the dusty screen. The band around my wrist constricted, taking a reading of my heart rate and temperature. I leaned against the panel beside me until it released me. The screen flashed the Vault Boy, his hand extended and his eye closed in that all-too-familiar stance of checking a blast radius, before showing my body readings.

I pulled out the adapter plug from underneath the device and plugged it into the vault panel. There was a creek, a rumble. The vault door began to roll open, the floor extended towards the exit. I scrambled through the small, yellow gate, my hand dragging along the rails in case I fell. I collapsed into the elevator, my breathing labored. “Enjoy your return to the surface. And thank you for choosing Vault-Tec.”

* * *

 There was a beam of sunlight across the middle of the platform. It slowly grew, stretching out until it touched my feet, crawled up my legs and chest. I lifted a hand to shield my eyes. _I’m free._

I lay on the platform for a moment more to soak up the sun, to let it sink its way into my bones after being frozen. There was a beep from the pip-boy to inform me that a radio station was found. I ignored it. The silence around me was different than the silence of the vault. There was the faint sound of the air swirling around me, the insects and what-have-you buzzing around somewhere in the distance.

I’m not sure how long I was there but the sun was moving, the shadows growing, and so I finally rolled onto my feet. In the distance, I could see the cul-de-sac. It felt like yesterday when we were running through the trees I now passed by. I paused at the gate where I turned Rune away. There were skeletons of friends and guards all around. The blast had been so close…

Suddenly, a rush of adrenaline shot through my veins. I ran.

I ran until the trees gave way to open road, the dirt to concrete. I passed ruined house after ruined house until I stood before number 12. It was mostly intact, give or take a few holes in the roof and walls. The bright blue paint had since faded, from the blast, from the sun, from whatever freak weather a nuclear attack could have caused. My hand was shaking as I touched the door frame. The furniture inside was rotted and broken, but that was not what knocked my breath out of my already heaving lungs.

There, curled up on the couch, was a pile of bones. My feet carried me forward without my consent, curiosity winning over fear. From the doorway, I could have fooled myself. Now, in full view of the cushion, I could not stop the tears that pooled in my eyes.

The bones were that of a dog, the skull was resting on the side I usually claimed, the red bandana that had served as a collar was still around the vertebrae.

“I guess you did make it home, girl-” my voice broke as the tears began rolling down my cheeks. My little girl, my last connection to…

“As I live and breathe...it’s...it’s REALLY you!” A familiar, metallic voice called from the hall. I turned to see my old butler floating out of Shaun’s old room, just as he’d been so long before.

I took a deep, stuttering breath, “Codsworth! You're... still here. So... other people could still be alive, too…”

“Well, _of course_ I'm still here. Surely you don't think a little radiation could deter the pride of General Atomics International?” Codsworth chuckled, puttering closer, his eyes roaming my body. “But you seem the worse for wear. Best not let the hubby see you in that state. Where is sir, by the way?” He looked around, expecting David to come strolling through the door any moment, just as he had every day since we bought him.

Images of his slumped form flashed before my eyes. “They...they killed him.”

The robot paused in his search, turning back to me. “Mum... these things you're saying. These... terrible things... I... I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction, to calm this dire mood. It's been ages since we've had a proper family activity. Checkers. Or perhaps charades. Shaun does so love that game. Is the lad... with you...?”

At the mention of his name, my body went rigid. I’d been so wrapped up in my grief I’d forgotten about Shaun. My son…

“Shaun’s been kidnapped. But…” I took a deep breath, looking down at the remains of my fuzzy companion. “I’m going to find him. I’m going to get my son back.”

“It's worse than I thought. Hmm hmm. You're suffering from... hunger-induced paranoia. Not eating properly for 200 years will do that, I'm afraid.”

I let the words wash over me. “200 years? What? Are you…?”

“A bit over 210 actually, mum. Give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the ole' chronometer. That means you're two centuries late for dinner! Ha ha ha. Perhaps I can whip you up a snack? You must be famished.”

His voice was tight, I set aside my current thoughts and turned to my butler. “...Codsworth, you're acting... a little bit weird. What's wrong?”

“I...I...Oh, mum, it's been just horrible! Two centuries with no one to talk to, no one to serve. I spent the first ten years trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing gets out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood. Nothing! And don't get me started about the futility of dusting a collapsed house. And the car! The car! How do you polish rust?”

I gently stroked him, his metal cool, dented in some places, rusted in others. “Whoah, Cods, stay with me, sweetheart. Focus.”

“I'm afraid I don't know anything, mum. The bombs came, and all of you left in such a hurry. I thought for certain you and your family were... dead. I did find this holotape. I believe sir was going to present it to you. As a surprise. But then, well... everything ‘happened.’”

I took the holotape from him, slipping it into the pip-boy for safe keeping. I didn’t feel ready for it just yet. “Thank you, Codsworth.”

The robot sniffled, “You’re welcome. Now, enough feeling sorry for myself. Shall we search the neighborhood together? Sir and young Shaun may turn up yet.”

I nodded slowly, still processing the information. Codsworth wanted us to clear out a few of the other houses were full of those roaches now...I grabbed the bandana from the bones, finding it relatively clean, and wrapped it around my arm.

* * *

 Once the bug problem was taken care of the sun was starting to set. Codsworth was busy building a new bed from some wood and cloth we’d found in the other homes while I began digging a hole in the backyard with a shovel I’d found lying around. I dug until I felt it was big enough and made my way back inside with what was left of a sheet we’d found. Slowly, methodically, I grabbed each bone from the couch and placed it in the sheet. I whispered prayers and goodbyes, I talked of memories of events long since passed, of concepts that were probably lost in time.

Just as I was.

When Rune was safely nestled in the sheet, I carried her out back and gently placed her in the hole. I sent out a final prayer as I filled in the dirt. This was all I could do for her now, after all those years she got me through, all she got was a shallow grave in the backyard, 200 years too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, finally got another chapter done. Sorry for the wait! I'm trying to write out between 8-10 pages for each chapter, and sometimes I get distracted with other projects...  
> Thank you for your patience, enjoy!

Codsworth set me on a mission to find others, mentioning that he heard that there were people still in Concord, though if they were friendly or not was up for debate. He wanted to follow, wanted to serve, but  _ I  _ wanted peace and quiet so I gave him a few tasks around the house to keep him busy for the day: scrounge up some clothes I can wear, maybe some spare bedding and food, try to cover up the hole in the bedroom walls to save me from the chilly nights. 

I walked down the road, keeping my footsteps light, unsure of my old-but-new surroundings. I noted places that I needed to check out on my way back, not wanting to waste too much daylight on my way to the next town. If anyone was still alive, I’d rather help them before I begin my search for scraps. Especially if helping them meant they’d help me. 

There was a scuffling at the Red Rocket as I passed. I kept a hand on my gun, not wanting to draw it if I didn’t have to, and walked slowly towards the noise. Maybe one day my curious nature would lessen, maybe fear would win out and I’d let things lie, but for now I still wanted to know, still wanted to find.

Another rustling came from a bush nearby. I crouched near an old car, my eyes locked on that bush. A few branches parted and a dog trotted out, a roach clutched happily in his mouth. Tears were in my eyes at the sight of him,  _ Mon Dieu... _ he was beautiful…

The Shepherd’s coat was surprisingly clean and shiny, his eyes bright. He looked fit, healthy, and I was walking towards him before I even noticed. He paused in eating, licking his lips as he watched me enter his territory. I stopped, not wanting to get too close and become threatening. The dog sneezed, continued eating, and I tried not to cry as I sat nearby, waiting for him to finish. I kept my hands visible, kept my body loose. After living with Rune’s father for years, Shepherds were fairly easy for me to please. 

After a few minutes, the dog trotted over and plopped next to me, sniffing my hands and arms and chest before licking my cheek gently. The tears flowed then, I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck and he let me have a moment, standing still with his snout resting on my shoulder. 

“What a good boy…” I mumbled into his fur and he huffed quietly as if to say “of course.”

He waited until I was standing and licked my hand as a show of solidarity. I gave his head a quick scratch and pointed back towards Sanctuary, “Go there, boy. I’ll be back in a bit. Codsworth will take care of you.” 

The Shepherd sneezed in agreement and walked off towards the bridge I’d just crossed. I moved on, suddenly feeling braver than I had been.

* * *

 

In Concord, there were people who needed my help so I got over my fears and did what I had to. I...I killed people, but from what I was told they weren’t good people. There was some giant creature that attacked afterward, attracted by all the noise we’d just been making. I took cover on a balcony and shot at it whenever it came in range, spending over an hour just waiting and watching. I got used to the weight of a gun. 

Preston’s lot were good people. He was a leader who didn’t like the title so I offered to take it off him. I’d run around and be the face of his group so long as he kept a close eye on them. We debated for a while if it was safe to head to Sanctuary, seems Preston wasn’t very fond of traveling during the night, but I was insistent. Cods needs people to take care of, they need homes, and I have a dog I need to check on. 

With everyone taking my side, Preston relented and let me lead them to my old neighborhood. I took point, though sometimes I lingered to check on Mama Murphy who trailed in the back. “You're a woman out of time. Out of hope. But all's not lost. I can feel... your son's energy. He's alive.”

I was floored. Preston called out to me from the front. “I…”

The old woman touched my arm and smiled, “It’s alright, sweetheart, we’ll talk about it later.”

I didn’t know what to say so I just nodded and took my place back at the front.

* * *

 

There is a lot to do once I get them set up in Sanctuary. I had to help set up water pumps in the river and turrets at the bridge with the help of Sturges, planting a few crops with Jun, and made a few plans to check on settlements with Preston. I was happy to help them, happy to set up routes to help others, but I could feel Mama Murphy’s eyes following me from the chair I made for her as I ran around my old neighborhood. 

It was almost a week before I had time to sit with her again. 

“You're a woman out of time. Out of hope. But all's not lost. I can feel...your son's energy. He's alive.”

I collapsed at the table beside her. “Oh...oh thank god, do you know where I can find him?”

“I... can't see him. Not clearly. But I feel his life force. He's out there. And even I don't need the Sight to tell you where you should start lookin'. The great, green jewel of the Commonwealth. Diamond City. The biggest settlement around.”

I let her fiddle around with my pip-boy for a moment so that she could mark it on my map. Of course... _ of course _ , a place like Diamond City would be in the ballpark.  _ Why didn’t I think of that? The high walls gave it plenty of protection, and the stands probably gave them plenty of room for housing. Maybe they had a little market area in the center? _

I thanked Mama Murphy and started marking a route through a few settlements that Preston marked and set Diamond City as my final destination. __

* * *

 

I thought maybe traveling with Preston and Dog (still haven’t figured out his name, but he seems to respond well enough to Dog so I’m just going with it for now) would be a good idea. Preston could help me learn a few things about the world, help me with the settlements once we got there, and maybe even helped with target practice. Dog was there because...well, why not? I spent most of my pre-war life with a canine companion, so why would I pass up the opportunity to keep one around post-war? He was well trained, had a great tracking nose, and while he could tear a grown man’s arm off, he could also stand on his back paws and give you a hug when you’re having a panic attack after killing some people.

Honestly, having Dog around is a win-win.

But Preston?

“Hey, I think I remember another settlement just up the road, think we can swing by on the way to the green jewel?”

“We’ve gotten off track at least three times now, Preston. I really need to find my son.”

“No, no yeah I get that, but it would only take a few hours.”

A _ few hours to get there, and then a whole day taking out the group of nearby raiders or super mutants that are attacking them. Yeah. I know. I’ve been down that road, _ I thought, but I took a deep breath a deep breath and decided on our next move.

“Look…” I was tired, anxious, and when I looked at my pip-boy I wanted to cry.  _ Mon Dieu _ , we were _ so close _ . “What if you go ahead and hit a few more settlements while I check in at Diamond City. Shaun is either there or he isn't, I don’t think it will take me long. And if it takes longer than a day...I’ll send Dog with a message updating you on my progress, and you can head back to Sanctuary when you finish with the settlements. I’ll swing by the next chance I get. Alright?”

He looked almost...disappointed, but he relented. “Alright, General. We’ll do it your way. Lemme mark a few locations on your pip-boy, Dog can check for me there before trying Sanctuary. Just...just be careful. The Minutemen need you.”

I nodded, touching the brim of my hat before turning down a nearby alley.

* * *

 

And of course...it started to rain. It would figure that everything would go wrong just...just when I make progress. I scratched behind Dog’s ear and motioned for him to scout ahead for an abandoned building. He sniffed the ground for a minute and then raced forward, leaving me under a bus stop. There was a muffled cry, then a laugh, and I could hear Dog barking a few streets over. 

I kept my gun in hand, but I didn’t waste time as I followed his call. There was a man in all black crouched beside him, petting his chest. “Um…”

The man smiled up at me, his helmet keeping the rain from his eyes. “He stickin’ around you right now? He’s a good boy, take care of him.”

“...yeah...thanks. Um...sorry, but…” I waved my hand up towards the sky. “Know somewhere we can get out of the rain?”

The guy gave me a weird look as he stood straight, hefting his gun onto his shoulder. “...you must be new here,” he said slowly. He waved his hand towards an alley. “Diamond City’s just that way. There’s plenty of signs, you can’t miss it. Get inside, find a place to stick this weather out, yeah?”

My shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh thank god. Alright, thanks!” I whistled for Dog and sprinted down the alley.

* * *

 

The gates were, well...closed. There was a woman yelling at some speaker, and honestly? I was too cold to deal with these shenanigans. I marched up and held out a finger to the woman in red, “Hi, excuse me. Is this Diamond City?”

The voice on the other end, “Um...well, yeah. Yeah, it is.”

“Great. I don’t really care what’s going on between you and this woman out here but I have business in there and I’d love to get out of the rain. So if you could just..?”

The gate began to rumble, “of course, miss. Please wait one moment.”

There were a few guards and a large man standing on the other side. One of the guards was shuffling his feet, “I'm sorry, but Mayor McDonough's really steamed, Piper. Sayin' that article you wrote was all lies. The whole city's in a tizzy.”

I held up a hand before the woman in red could respond. “It’s freedom of the press, but yeah it’s always a risk to about politics. Look, if people really want to believe what she writes you can’t stop her. But...well, locking her out only makes you look guilty.” The larger man sputtered and huffed while the woman,  _ must be Piper _ , laughed. I shook my head. “Sorry if I made this all worse, but I’ve got things to do so if you’ll excuse me…”

I took the steps the guard waved towards two at a time. There was an open market on the field, as I’d predicted, and the stands seemed to be filled with housing. I wove my way through the vendors, looking for any sign of a detective agency. There was a faint glow down an alleyway that caught my attention. 

_ Valentine Detective Agency. _ Even has the heart and everything...beautiful. I clicked my tongue at Dog and waved down the alley. He sniffed around and paws at a doorway.  _ Guess this is it. _ I took a moment to steel my nerves and opened the door.

Inside there was a woman holding a faded blue tie. “Another stray coming in from the rain. 'Fraid you're too late. Office is closed.”

I leaned back against the door. “ _ Zut _ ...alright, sorry. I’ll...I’ll come back another time?”

The girl turned, “No I...sorry, I mean permanently. The detective...well, he’s gone missing.”

“Oh! Well...” I looked down at Dog and took a deep breath before stepping forward, “don’t worry, I can help. Tell me what happened.”

She sighed, “Nick was working a case. Skinny Malone's gang had kidnapped a young woman, and he tracked them down to their hideout in Park Street Station...there's an old vault down there they use as a base. I told Nick he was walking into a trap, but he just smiled and walked out the door like he always does.” She looked at the door wistfully.

I took her hand, unwinding the tie from her fingers and setting it on the cabinet beside her. “I'll find him. You have my word.”

Her eyes watered. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh,” the woman threw her arms around me for a moment and then held me at arm's length. “Nick should be easy to spot. He's always wearing that old hat and trench coat getup. Please, hurry!” 

I nodded and plopped a marker on my pip-boy, “I’ll be back as soon as I can, miss…?”

“Perkins, Ellie Perkins.”

“Ellie Perkins, I’m Louvel Desjardins and I’ll find your missing detective.” I touched the brim of my hat and threw open the door, whistling for Dog as I went. The rain pattered gently on.

_ God, I love a dramatic exit. _

* * *

 

I took my time restocking, trying to keep out of the rain. After an hour of puttering around, the rain lightened up and I made my way back to the main gate. That woman in the red jacket was standing next to a crate holding a newspaper.

She spotted me and smiled. “Hey! You're the new girl, yeah?”

I nodded, “Louvel. How do you do...Piper, was it?” I asked, offering my hand. 

She took it, giving it a firm shake. “Piper, yeah. Where you from, Louvel?”

“Uh…” _ Do I tell the reporter I’m pre-war?... No. Not unless I want to be front page news for the next week _ . “...up near Sanctuary Hills. Heard of it?”

“Yeah, heard word that the Minutemen were basing out there. From the getup, I'd wager you might be part of them.”

I shrugged, “I help when I can.”

Piper laughed, “yeah, I guess that's all any of us can do.” 

A young girl poked her head out of the door behind her and said “hey, Piper? I'm getting hungry.”

I noticed the worried look on Piper’s face and held up a finger. I shuffled in my pouch for a second and pulled out a few cuts of meat and a few veggies. “Here, it's gotta be cooked soon anyway, and I don't have the time to make it.” I dropped the food in Piper’s arms before she could protest and touched my hat, “We help when we can right? Alright. I'm off to see a man about...well, a man. I'll swing by next time I'm in town.” 

Dog gave an affirming sneeze and followed me to the gate.

* * *

 

Thanks to Dog, I didn’t have much trouble on my way to the vault Detective Valentine seems to have gotten himself trapped in. We made our way slowly through the poorly designed vault, taking down anyone who stood in our way. My stomach still twisted whenever I had to kill but...well, it’s something I’ll have to get used to right?

There was arguing around the next corner. A low, scratchy tone was trying to talk his way to freedom-must be the detective then-and the other was...almost falling for it. But…

“Three strikes? In the black book? But I never...oh no...I gotta smoothe this over, fast!”

_ Zut _ . The detective sent him right to me. Oh well. I clicked my tongue and Dog launched around the corner, sinking his teeth into the guy's arm as I swung around and put a bullet in his chest. Dog released him as he collapsed to the ground. “Good boy…”

I stepped cautiously down the hall, eyeing the glass. There was a man there, though the room was too dark to distinguish his features, though his eyes...his eyes were beautiful and...glowing?

“Hey, I don’t know who you are but if you’re here to help you gotta hack that terminal to open up this door.”

I nodded and gave the terminal a tap, booting it up and pressing a few keys to try and unlock the door. I wasn’t the best at guessing passwords, but after a few tries, I got it.  _ At least this time I didn’t get booted out… _

Dog dashed in as the door slid open. “Well hey there, Dogmeat. I know you’re a smart dog but I don’t think you have the thumbs to work a terminal...or the patience.”

_ Dog...meat? Well. At least I was half right. _ Dogmeat huffed as I stepped into the room laughing. “I might have helped him a bit.”

The man...the...the... _ oh what did they call them now? The synth? Yeah, that sounded right. _ The synth winked a glowing yellow eye at me and lit a cigarette. “Thanks for getting me out. How did you know where to find me, anyway? Not many people knew where I went…”

“Your secretary, Ellie I think? She sent me.”

He leaned against the desk in the middle of the room, drawing my eye to a Vault Boy bobblehead ( _ score!!! _ ) as he blew smoke to the air, I watched a wisp of it slip through his cheek. “Gotta love the irony of the reverse damsel-in-distress scenario. Question is, why did our heroine risk life and limb for an old private eye?”

_Oh god, where do I start?_ “I need you to find someone, but it's... complicated. I don't exactly know where they could be, or how long they've been gone.” I glanced out the room, I’ll have to fill in the details later.

Detective Valentine nodded. He snuffed the cigarette in an ashtray on the desk and straightened up. “Well, I’ve done jobs with less. Somehow “nice and simple” never makes it onto the menu in my world.” His arms crossed, “I've been cooped up in here for weeks. Turns out the runaway daughter I came here to find wasn't kidnapped. She's Skinny Malone's new flame, and she's got a mean streak.” He chuckled. It was nice and throaty...I couldn’t help smiling at him. 

He sighed and reached into his jacket, pulling out a gun and checking for ammo. “Anyway, you got troubles, and I'm glad to help. But now ain't the time. Let's blow this joint. Then we'll talk.”

“Sounds good, Mr. Valentine.” It felt good making him laugh one more time before things got serious again.

“So what’s this guy's deal? Are they sorta like...a mob or something,” I asked as we walked, keeping my voice low to keep it from echoing off the metal walls and giving us away.

“Pretty much.”

“And he...hides in a vault?”

The Detective shrugged. “Malone's crew here used to be small time, muscled out of the old neighborhood by bigger players. Until they found this place. Don't know what happened to the previous owners, but they're not exactly around to charge rent. An empty vault. Perfect hideout.”

I nodded, pressing up against the wall as Dogmeat checks on ahead. “That...makes sense I guess.”

We pressed on silently now, keeping low as we followed Dogmeat through halls and downstairs. _ Mon Dieu...this place is a maze _ .

A hand grazed my elbow, “Hold up! I hear some of them coming…” We pressed against the wall just as Dogmeat let out a low growl at the next corner. I could hear a few voices chattering amongst themselves. “There they are...how do you wanna play this?”

I smiled at the Detective and held my fist up, calling Dogmeat to heel. I stepped into the room slowly, keeping low and near the doorway. There were three men in the room from what I could see. I clicked my tongue and pointed to the closest man, sending Dogmeat his way as I fired off a few shots at the two near the back of the room. All three were down before they even knew what was happening.

Valentine laughed. “Nice and quiet. You keep this up, you'll make a name for yourself. Not a good name, mind you, but who cares?”

“I mean...I care a little,” I joked, brushing my hair out of my eyes and winking. We laughed together and then pressed on, moving silently down the halls until we reached another closed door.

“This door's on the fritz. Let me see if I can get it open…” Detective Valentine began fiddling with the control panel. “Almost got it... there we are. Hell of a lot easier to do when the lock isn't on the other side…”

We took our time climbing the next few flights of stairs and crept down the halls, ready to take out any of the triggermen we could before they noticed us. The Detective didn’t seem to mind standing guard while I looked through a few drawers while we walked, I guess I looked like part of the Minutemen so it makes sense I would be on the lookout for clothes and food for the settlements. Or maybe he’s used to previous partners wanting to loot everything they could while they were on missions?

* * *

 

“More stairs? Who built this damn vault, a fitness instructor?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. While mine was fairly simple in its floor plan, there were still endless hallways full of the cryo-pods. I guess all vaults have their quirks.

“Skinny Malone and the rest of his boys are waiting for us, somewhere. The name's, uh, ironic, but don't let that fool you. He's dangerous.” I nodded, clicking my tongue for Dogmeat to check around the corner before following. There was a closed door and another terminal.

“Another locked door. Shouldn't be too hard…” Detective Valentine stepped forward and tapped eagerly at the keys while I hung back with Dogmeat. He hummed quietly to himself and did another sweep of the screen before pressing a few more. “I got it,” he paused, hand hovering over the enter key, “but I hear big, fat footsteps on the other side. Once we step through this door, get ready for anything.” 

He waited until I was positioned on the other side of the door before opening them. We stepped forward into an open room, there stood a large man in a suit and tie holding a tommy gun, a woman in a lovely blue dress with a bat over her shoulder, and a few thugs with their guns drawn.

The suit, who I assumed was Skinny given Valentine’s warning, stepped forward, arms opened wide. “Nicky...what're you doin'? You come into my house...shoot up my guys,” he sighed. “You have any idea how much this is gonna set me back?”

“I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your two-timing dame, Skinny. You ought to tell her to write home more often.”

The woman let out a harsh laugh, “Awww... poor little Valentine. Ashamed you got beat up by a girl? I'll just run back home to daddy, shall I?”

Skinny laughed, his eyes trailing lovingly over the woman as he did. “Shoulda left it alone, Nicky. This ain’t the old neighborhood...in this vault,  _ I’M  _ king of the castle, ya hear me? And I ain’t lettin’ some private  _ dick  _ shut us down now that I’ve finally got a good thing goin’.”

The woman huffed, “I told you we should’ve just killed him! But no...you had to go get  _ sentimental _ . All that stupid crap about the old times...”

“Darla, I'm handling this! Skinny Malone’s always got things under control.”

“Oh yeah? Then what’s this trick doin’ here, huh? Valentine must’ve brought her here to rub us all out.”

I stepped forward, my gun at my side, my voice low and calm. I’d been known for charming witnesses into testifying, surely I could charm this woman into going home? “Darla, listen to me...you have a home to go back to. You don’t want to throw your life away with...with these thugs, do you?”

She faltered, “I...I…” she dropped her bat, “You’re right! What am I doing? I...I’ve gotten all...mixed up…” she started backing away.

Skinny slouched, raising a hand towards her. “D-D-Darla…wait...wha-where you going?”

“I’m going home, Skinny, where I shoulda been all this time. I’m sorry but...this is goodbye for us.” Darla turned and ran.

Skinny began to shake with rage. He turned, pointing a finger at the Detective.“Oh, come on, Nicky! You cost me my men, now you and your friend cost me my girl?”

Nick held his hands up. “My friend here just did you a favor, Skinny. You always did have a bad taste in women. Now that she's not around to feed that temper of yours, maybe you'll see sense and let us walk? You still owe me for two weeks in the hole.”

I was worried Skinny’s head would explode, given how red his face was getting. I felt my finger twitch against the trigger, waiting to see which way this went.

“You smug, overconfident ass... “ Malone finally threw his hands up. “Agh! Alright, you get til the count of 10. I still see your face after that, I’m gonna put both of you down!”

Valentine touched his hat and waved me forward. “No point stickin’ around where we aren’t wanted.”

Skinny Malone began counting as we made our way out of the vault. We were gone by six.

* * *

 

The night air was cool, crisp. While I was glad to get out of that vault, I was also glad that the General’s garb was fairly warm. 

“Ah, look at that Commonwealth sky. Never thought anything so naturally ominous could end up looking so inviting...you mentioned Ellie sent you? I should give her a raise.” Nick lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall nearby. He took a moment, just staring at the stars…

...so I took a moment to stare at him.

I’d been told a bit about synths...that they were robots that paraded around like people, that earlier models were mindless drones and the new ones were so similar...you couldn’t tell them apart from the humans they replaced. The institute was the boogeyman of the Commonwealth and everyone was suspicious of everything. And yet...here stood a man, a synth, that went missing and brought a woman to tears. A synth that was a well-known Detective, one that could call Diamond City of all places a home. From what Preston’s told me, that place is the most paranoid of all and yet…

He snubbed the light against the wall and finally met my eyes. “Now, you mentioned something about a missing person? No trace of where they’ve gone?” He waited for my nod before continuing, “I want you to come back to my office in Diamond City. Give me all the details. Besides,” he smiled, “I think you’ve earned a chance to sit down and clear your head.”

I laughed. “It’s...yeah, it’s been awhile since I’ve rested properly. Guess it’s starting to show. Alright, mind if I tag along with you or would it be safer to split and meet back up there?”

He seemed shocked, “Oh...well, I wasn’t sure if you were comfortable traveling with me now that we’re outta the vault and everything...wouldn’t say no to the company.”

I waved my hand, “Lead the way, Detective.”

“Alright. Let’s move fast...follow me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we are! Thanks so much for reading. I'm trying to alternate skimming over her travels and hyper-focusing on the interesting things, that way it doesn't drag on too long. 
> 
> Some facts about Louvel that hopefully translate well: in the game, I gave her high charisma, so any time I reach dialogue that was a check...well, she always passed. So if it seems a bit disjointed...she was just really good at her job.   
> She also had decent luck, and I'm not the worst at shooting so she actually got a lot of headshots. But the 'real world' isn't like the game, it doesn't take 10 bullets to take down a random guy in a suit, so she's just got really good aim and can usually hit the heart no problem.  
> Hmmm...  
> OH! She kept her own last name when she married because it's her family name and she wanted to keep it in their honor. David's last name is something common, like "Hayes" or "Cooper".
> 
> Alright, I might give more facts as they come up, we'll see!
> 
> Questions, comments, concerns...just wanna chat? Leave a comment and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can!  
> -JM


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! Sorry, it took me a bit, my internet has been fairly inconsistent the last few days. I wanted all of Kellogg's mission in one chapter. There's one more chapter after this one that's fully linear, and then I'll sort of...skip forward a few times throughout chapters.  
> But that's for later, for now, enjoy:

“Nick! Oh my god...it’s really you!”

Ellie was across the room in seconds, her arms surrounding the Detective in a tight hug. I flinched in sympathy at the metallic smack that resounded through the small office. 

Valentine held his secretary at arm's length. “Now why’d you go and do that, kid? You coulda got hurt!”

She smacked his shoulder, “Oh don’t start all that; I’m fine. But look at you! You’re back!” Ellie looked around him at me and smiled, tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much, Miss...oh...I can’t remember how to say your last name Louvel.”

I laughed. “That’s alright, most people forget it. Louvel is fine though, please. After all this?” I waved towards the Detective, “I’d say we’re friends, yeah?”

She weaseled out of his grip and pulled me into a hug. “Of course we are, Louvel, thank you. I was so worried about this dumb old bot...I’d kinda given up hope until you rescued him.”

“I wouldn’t call it a rescue…”

“No, no,” Valentine interrupted, “that’s exactly what you did. Now, Ellie, please release our client. She’s three miles past exhausted and we have a case to discuss.” He swept off his coat and hung it on the rack near the door before rolling up his sleeves.

As Ellie guided me to the plush chair on the outer side of the desk, my eyes were drawn to his exposed arms. One was mostly still covered in the synthetic skin, though small cuts exposed the metal workings underneath, the other was almost fully exposed until halfway above the elbow, where his sleeve now rested. I couldn’t help wondering just how he worked.. _.did the synthetic skin feel as real skin does? The exposed metal would suggest not, as I couldn’t see any obvious sensors...but technology has advanced enough for a robot to look and act exactly like a human, maybe the metal has sensors I just can’t see? Or maybe- _

“Would you like some tea? Water?” Detective Valentine asked, calling my attention back to his face. 

I tried not to blush at being caught staring, “Um...no, I’m alright. I should have something in my bag.” I dug around in my bag for a moment, pulling out a half-empty bottle of purified water and showing him. “See? I’m all set.” I set the bag on the ground by my feet and folded my hands in my lap, the bottle resting under them.

He nodded, taking a seat across from me. The Detective shuffled a few papers around his desk before clearing his throat (was there anything to clear or was it a habit he’d gotten from whoever he was programmed to be?) and grabbing a pen from his jacket, offering it to Ellie. “When you’re trying to find someone who’s gone missing, the devil’s in the details. Tell me everything you can, no matter how…” He rubbed the back of his neck and gave me an apologetic smile, “no matter how painful it might be.”

Ellie rolled her chair over beside him, a clipboard in hand. 

I took a deep breath... _ alright, here we go _ . I started by explaining the vault, how we were frozen for who knows how long, and then one day I was awake and my baby...my husband...

Ellie reached a hand across the desk, I took it. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice gentle. “You don’t need to say anything more.”

“Hmmm…” Valentine leaned both elbows on the desk, his fingers steepled. “So we’re talking about a group of cold-hearted killers, but they waited until something went wrong to resort to violence?” He nodded to himself and sat back in the chair. “Anything else you remember?”

“I...well, I was only awake for a moment. I don’t know if I remember much about the kidnappers…” I thought back to my years of working with victims. What other information could be useful? “We’re looking for my baby, Shaun. He was less than a year old when we first went under...why would anyone take him?” People rarely kidnapped that young prewar, so unless that’s a trend that’s started since the world ended...it just didn’t add up.

Detective Valentine crossed his arms. “A good question. Why your family in particular, and why an infant? Someone would be taking on all of his care, and a baby needs a lot of it…” He glanced over Ellie’s notes and nodded. “Well, that confirms it. This isn’t a random kidnapping. Whoever took your kid had an agenda. Now, there are a lot of groups in the Commonwealth that take people. Raiders, Super Mutants, the Gunners if they’ve got enough reason, and of course, there’s the Institute.”

I mulled it over. “I’ve only been out for...maybe just over a month? But...Raiders wouldn’t take an infant though, not from what I’ve seen. They’d be too strung out to take care of them; too much risk for too little reward. Super Mutants...I don’t remember seeing any back then, and I don’t think they work well with humans if they can help it…” I scrubbed a hand across my face before running my fingers through my hair. “From what I’ve heard, Gunners are mostly mercenaries right? Unless someone paid the right price and immediately took over care for him...I don’t see them doing it.” Nick was nodding along with my assumptions, but he waited, wanting me to ask, to confirm his thoughts. “So...you think the Institute is responsible?”

“Well, they’re the boogeyman of the Commonwealth. Something goes wrong, everyone blames them.” He shrugged. “Easy to see why. Those early model synths of theirs strip whole towns for parts, killing everything in their way. Then you got the newer models, good as a human, that infiltrate cities and pull strings from the shadows.”

Ellie piped up, “Worst of all, no one even knows why they do it...or what their plans are...or even where they are!”

Valentine nodded, “not even me, and I’m a synth myself.” He huffed in annoyance, “a discarded prototype, anyway.” 

“You’re a prototype?” That must be why people are able to trust him. He acts human enough, but he doesn’t hide that he’s a synth. Transparency at its finest.

He nodded, “As far as I know. Never seen any other synth like myself. The older ones are dumb as rocks and all metal, the newer ones that are almost human. I’m…” He waved his hand back and forth, “...somewhere in between.”

“Hmmm…” I shrugged, “Well, either way, I need to find Shaun. So if you’re game to help I’ll gladly accept it.”

“You’re right, this speculation is getting us off track.” Nick leaned forward onto the desk again and smiled, “let’s focus on what you saw. What did these kidnappers look like?”

I thought back to the frosted glass, to the man that leaned towards me as I screamed for my husband. “There were at least two people there. The woman who tried to take Shaun from my husband was dressed in...I think it was some kind of hazard suit? The man who...he had some sort of...metal brace on his arm.”

The Detective made a thoughtful noise.“Like some kind of improvised armor? A lotta hired guns do it to look tough.” I nodded. I was in the middle of fashioning a piece myself, though it was mostly for extra storage. Valentine continued, “The hazard suit is interesting. Not many mercs can afford something that fancy. What else do you remember about them?”

“One of them came right up to me. Bald head, scar across his left eye.”

The Detective and his secretary shared a look. “Hold on, wait. It couldn’t be...you didn’t hear the name ‘Kellogg’ at all, did you?”

“I...I might have? I don’t...I’m not sure. Everything was so...cold...sluggish. I was more focused on my family but...I don’t know.”

He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it, I think we have enough evidence. It’s way too big of a coincidence, don’t you agree Ellie?”

“Let me get my notes…” She rolled backward, spinning just in time to catch herself on the edge of the filing cabinet before she hit the wall. She slid open the third one down and began sifting through folders, muttering under her breath until she gave a noise of triumph and lifted one out. “Here it is! Let’s see…” She shifted in her seat, holding the file in her hands while balancing her clipboard on her knees. “Yeah, the description matches. Bald head, scar, reputation for dangerous mercenary work...but no one knows who his employer is.”

“He bought a house here in town, right? And he had that kid with him, didn’t he?”

She flipped through a few pages before nodding, “Yeah, that’s right. The house in the abandoned West Stands. The boy with him was around…” her finger slid down the page, “ten years old.”

I spoke up, “You said he lived here? Is he still around?”

Ellie shook her head no. “They both vanished a while back.”

“If I’m remembering right, the house is still there…” Valentine reached for the file and glanced over the page. “Yeah, they haven’t touched that part of town yet.” He handed it back to Ellie, who used it to hide a yawn. “Alright, I’ve got a plan. Right now, you and our friend here needs to get some rest.” He glanced towards me. “From what I’ve seen, you’ve been running around most of the day. In the morning you and I will take a walk over to Kellogg’s last known address. See if we can snoop out where he went.”

Ellie slid the file back into place and closed the drawer. “Sounds good, Boss. Security doesn’t really go to that part of town, but you two should still be careful.”

Detective Valentine looked at her, “I always am.”

I raised my hand slightly, “Not to be rude, but I did just save you from a vault...where you were trapped for two whole weeks?”

He let out an amused huff while Ellie tried to hide her laughter behind her clipboard. “Alright, I’ll give you that. I  _ usually  _ am. Better?”

We laughed for a few minutes before I was yawning too much to keep going. “So where’s the nearest inn? Or...whatever they call them these days.”

Ellie yawned herself and finally stood, stretching upward. “There’s a spare bed here, so long as Nick doesn’t mind?”

“Not a bit.” Detective Valentine waved a hand towards the doorway behind me, “The Dugout Inn is a ways away and it’s late. Besides, I don’t actually need the bed, it’s mostly out of...habit.”

I stifled another yawn and decided to take the offer. “I guess I’ll take what I can get. Thank you, both of you.” I smiled at them both and grabbed my bag. “Goodnight, then.”

Ellie took my arm as we turned the corner into Valentine’s room. “I’ll get you a blanket. You can change upstairs in my room if you want?”

I nodded and dropped my bag down near his bed, noticing a file tucked away underneath.  _ Hmmm... _ Ignoring it for now, I shuffled around for something to sleep in and climbed the stairs into Ellie’s room. I changed quickly, knowing she probably hasn’t slept well for the past two weeks and went back down to find the bed turned down and Ellie leaning against the doorway talking quietly to Nick.

“You keep laughing at death and someday...death's going to laugh back.”

I could hear the Detective laugh quietly in the other room, “Not as long as I got a few friends to back me up…”

“Well, goodnight Nicky.”

“Night El.”

I tried not to laugh as Ellie stuck her tongue out at her boss and thanked her for the blanket and the room to change.

“It’s no problem, Louvel! You just rest and I’ll see you two off in the morning, alright? Sleep tight!”

“You too, Ellie.” I waited for the light upstairs to turn off before I flipped off the one in Valentine’s room. I could hear the gentle hum of the Detective’s mechanics from the other room.  _ It’s nice _ , I thought as I curled up under the covers, _ a white noise I could get used too... _

* * *

 

The pip-boy resting on the floor told me I’d slept a full nine hours. I wanted to be angry that we didn’t get an early start but…

Ellie came bouncing down the stairs, eyes bright, hair properly brushed. She looked more refreshed than the last time few times I’d seen her so I couldn’t fault the Detective letting us sleep.

“Good morning!” 

I stretched, “‘morning. Glad to see you rested.”

“Yeah, it’s good to  _ be  _ rested. Now that Nick is back I can actually sleep easy. You hungry? I’m about to pop by the noodle stand, I can wait if you wanna join me?”

I paused in folding the blanket. I had given Piper the older cuts of meat so I didn’t have to worry about anything spoiling in my bag… 

“Yeah, alright. Let me get dressed and I’ll come with.”

* * *

 

Ellie was nagging her boss when I entered the office. “You’ve been gone two weeks, Nick. You need to get a checkup!”

“We’ve got a case right now, El.” Valentine noticed me and decided to give Ellie what she wanted, so she would stop nagging. “I’ll...I’ll go see Dr. Amari when I have the time, how’s that?”

She seemed appeased.

I waved, “Morning Mr. Valentine. Guess she got over missing you pretty quick, huh?”

He laughed, “Apparently. You two take care now, yeah? I’ll swing by in a bit to get you, so don’t dawdle too long.”

* * *

 

The Noodle stand was apparently a staple of Diamond City. Which, makes sense honestly because the noodles were pretty good, fairly close to what I’d have eaten pre-war, but still. A constant diet of noodles couldn’t be good for anyone... _ maybe that’s why their mayor is so...fat? _

Ellie chatted away while we ate, filling me in on a run-down of all the shops in the marketplace. I nodded along, running through a list of everything I had right now, seeing if anything could be traded for supplies. When she was quiet for a minute I turned, noticing her face was more somber than before.

She took a deep breath and turned to me, “You saved Nick, this agency...and my job, heh. Thank you, seriously.”

I quickly swallowed, “Oh, no, please. I’m happy to do it!”

“Yeah? Go diving into scary, prewar ruins all the time then, do ya?” We laughed. “Anyway, here.” She pulled a small pouch from her pocket and held it towards me, “I know an amount wasn’t on the table when you went out to find him but...you deserve a reward. Plus...a little something extra.” She smiled.

I took the pouch and dropped it into my satchel. “Thank you…”

“You know,” she gave me a wink, “if you’re looking for work and don’t mind putting on the detective hat? Nick sure could use a new partner-”

“Woah now, Ellie. Slow down, one case at a time. Our new friend needs our help, first,” came a familiar voice behind us. I turned to see the Detective smiling at us, his hands on his hips. “Shoulda known this was all a ruse to try and rope you into the business. If you two are done, I’d like to get a start on the case. Who knows how long it’ll take us, and I don’t want to keep you out past dark if I can help it. I know you humans don’t do well in the middle of the night.”

I handed my bowl back to Takahashi and slipped the strap of my bag over my head. “I’m ready, let's go.”

Ellie waved us goodbye and turned back towards the office. I followed Valentine towards Kellogg’s old house.

* * *

 

Detective Valentine glanced around before speaking in a low tone. “I didn't want Ellie to hear this, but I think you should know. Everything I dug up about Kellogg before his disappearance is bad news. He's more than just a mercenary. He's a professional. Quick, clean, thorough. Has no enemies, because they're all dead…”

We turned down another alley and he gave me a small smile. “Except you. But nine to one odds says he's our man. It's more than just you identifying his distinguishing features. The MO is all him as well. Leading a small team to kidnap a baby, and leaving one of the parents alive for later? Not many mercs in the Commonwealth can pull that off.”

He waited until I nodded and led me up a flight of rotting stairs. “Here we are. Keep an eye out, will ya? Let's see if I can get this open.” He crouched in front of the door and pulled a bobby pin and screwdriver out of his inner pocket. He twisted them around this way and that, grumbling occasionally. “That's one heck of a lock... Got something to hide, Kellogg?” The bobby pin in his hand snapped in half and he muttered a curse as he pulled out a new one, starting again. When that one also broke he threw his hands up in frustration, “Lock's too stubborn for me. Why don't you give it a try?”

We switched positions and I pulled out the pouch I kept bobby pins in. After breaking three bobby pins, I decided the lock was probably too advanced for this kind of break-in. “I don’t think I can get this either...which is weird, cause I’m usually pretty good with these things.”

Valentine chuckled. “Heh. well, guess we’ll need to find the key. You see that platform in the distance? Near the city entrance? That’s the elevator to the Mayor’s office. Why don’t you go ask around there? I’ll stay here, and see if I can jimmy this lock.”

“Sounds good…”

* * *

 

It didn’t take much for me to get the key. The mayor’s assistant, Geneva, was more than willing to part with it once I mentioned my son. I almost felt bad using him like that but...well, if it helped us find him faster did it matter?

I kept to the back alleys as I made my way back to the Detective. I didn’t want to run into any guards if I could help it.

“Got the key? All right. Let's head in. You do the honors.”

I slipped it into the lock and gave it a twist. The door opened with little force, the hinges squeaking from disuse. We stepped in, revealing a fairly standard home.

“Place seem small to you? Figured a guy like Kellogg would think...bigger.” 

We both split up and looked around, Valentine taking upstairs while I checked out the living room are. After a moment he called down, “If Kellogg's smart, he wouldn't just leave something out in the open. Check every crevice.”

I made my way to the desk in the corner. I bent to slide open a drawer and noticed a bright red button. “Detective, I think I found something!” I pressed the button and Dogmeat barked from across the room. A door was sliding open, revealing a secret room.

Valentine came down the stairs, “Well...that’s one way to hide a room...Look at that. All of Kellogg's favorite things.” He picked up something from a table near a plush red chair, “San Francisco Sunlights? Hmmm...not gonna lead us anywhere on its own, though.”

I couldn’t help but throw in a joke, “What, the great clockwork dick is stumped?”

He let out a dry laugh, “it’s synth detective, doll. If you’re gonna be that way, you might as well get the make and model right.” He smiled though, to show he wasn’t really offended.

I laughed, giving the shelves in the room a glance over, tucking away anything useful I found.

Valentine continued, “joking aside, what about Dogmeat? A Commonwealth mutt like him can track a man’s scent for miles…”

Dogmeat barked happily from the doorway.

He laughed, “Well, Dogmeat seems eager for the job. Why don't you let him have a whiff? See if he picks up on the trail.”

I took the cigar from his hand and looked it over.

The Detective looked down shyly, clearing his throat, “Before you head out…” I met his glowing eyes. “I know this is personal business. If you have to face Kellogg on your own, just say so.” He looked away again, rubbing his neck, “Besides, you already have plenty of company. We can't all go sniffing through the Commonwealth after one man.”

I waited until he met my eye again. “I want you with me on this, Nick. I can’t...I can’t do it alone. Even with Dogmeat by my side.” I hadn’t meant to use his first name but...well, it seemed right.

“All right. Let's get that bastard. This is your show from here on out, okay? You say jump, I'll say how high.”

* * *

 

Dogmeat stopped walking and let out a small whine. Detective Valentine let out a triumphant noise, “I knew Dogmeat would sniff our man out. Let's you and I take it from here. Give our four-legged friend a break.” I agreed, giving the pup a quick treat and a rub behind the ears. I slipped a letter to Preston updating him on the search for my son and sent Dogmeat on his way.

I turned to Valentine, who held the door to Fort Hagen open for me, his gun in hand.

There were synths, turrets, and a few protectrons littered throughout the building. I switched to the energy weapon I had in my bag and we slowly made our way in.

We got a few floors in before static filled the hall we were in as the speakers kicked on.

“If it isn't my old friend, the frozen TV dinner. Last time we met, you were cozying up to the peas and apple cobbler.”

I growled low under my breath and pressed on. We made our ways through the winding halls and endless staircases, through security door after security door, killing synth after synth.

“Sorry your house has been a wreck for two hundred years. But I don't need a roommate. Leave...

“Hmph. Never expected you to come knocking on my door. Gave you 50/50 odds of making it to Diamond City. After that? Figured the Commonwealth would chew you up like jerky...

“Look. You're pissed off. I get it. I do. But whatever you hope to accomplish in here? It is not going to go your way...

“You've got guts and determination, and that's admirable. But you are in over your head in ways you can't possibly comprehend...

“It's not too late. Stop. Turn around and leave. You have that option. Not a lot of people can say that...

“Okay, you made it. I'm just up ahead. My synths are standing down. Let's talk.”

_ Finally...just one more door. Then I’ll get some answers. _ I threw it open without hesitation and there he was.

Kellogg stood in the center of the room, arms outstretched. “And there she is. The most resilient woman in the Commonwealth.”

I stepped forward, ignoring the synths circling me and Valentine. “Where is my son? Where's Shaun?”

“Hmph. Lady, I'm just a puppet like you. My stage is a little bigger, that's all. Shaun's a good kid. So maybe he's not quite a ‘baby’ anymore. But he's doing great. Only... he's not here. He's with the people pulling the strings.”

“Tell me where he is!”

He stared at me for a minute before shrugging. “Fine. I guess you've earned that much. Shaun's in a good place. Where he's safe, and comfortable, and loved. A place he calls home. The Institute.” Kellogg looked smug.

I squared my shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes. “Here. The ‘Institute.’ I'll find my son no matter where he is.” I could hear Valentine chuckling behind me.

Kellogg laughed. The noise grated against my ears. “Ha! That's the spirit. You know...you surprise me, I have to admit. I find myself actually kind of...liking you. You might've actually been a good mother. And I admire your dedication. Even if it is ultimately useless. But I think we've been talking long enough. We both know how this has to end. So... you ready?” He pulled his gun out of its holster.

I reloaded my gun and nodded. “You know I am, Kellogg.”

* * *

 

It was over.

After dispensing the synths waiting for Kellogg to run out of stealth boys, as Valentine called them, I was able to pin him in the corner and get a few good shots in. He’d fallen to the ground, his brain splattered across the floor. 

Valentine took my bag and gun from me as I made my way to the corner to empty my stomach. He did his best to keep my hair out of my face. Once some time had passed and nothing else threatened to come up, he offered me a handkerchief to clean my face.

“Jesus...thanks, Mr. Valentine. You’re a real gentleman...you know that?”

He rubbed his neck, something I was starting to think he did when he was embarrassed. “Well...I was raised to treat people with respect, ya know? Kinda hard not to fall into old...habits. Anyway...Ellie is susceptible to a sob story, so I learned to keep a few on me in case the waterworks started.”

I laughed quietly, taking a minute to clean myself up before taking my things back and tucking the dirty cloth into a side pocket to wash. I turned to see the Detective bent over the body, sifting through the dead man’s pockets. “Good job with this, though. This bastard won’t be hurting anyone else.” He stood, taking a moment to whip his hand off on his jacket. “We should take a look around. Get all the intel this place might be hiding.”

We circled around the room. I found a terminal that was still functioning and called Valentine over. I pointed to an entry:

_ The boy, Shaun, successfully delivered back to the Institute, payment received. New orders to track down renegade, gathered reinforcements, cleared out and secured Fort Hagen. We move out soon. _

I heard Nick cuss quietly over my shoulder, “So, the Institute was the puppet master all along. Damn. Even I don't know where they are, and they built me.”Valentine cursed quietly. “Kids at the Institute? Damn...unless we find something around here that tells us where it is...we might have to step back and get some help.”

“I chuckled, glancing up at him,“Oh, Mister ‘Metal for Hands’ doesn't know how to get back to the factory?” I turned in the chair, smiling up at him to show I meant no harm.

He sighed, his glowing eyes rolling up to the sky, “No. I skipped that part of the orientation film while they were busy pulling me apart and putting me back together again.” He took a moment to look at the screen again and shook his head. “We're in the weeds, here...I think it’s time to take a step back. Bring in some fresh eyes. The only person I know willing to snoop up the Institute's tail feathers is Piper, the reporter in Diamond City. I say we head her way. Talk this through.”

I mulled it over. She hadn’t seemed so bad the few times we’d talked...and if Valentine was recommending her then...why not? “I’ve talked with her a few times. Helped her get back to the City after she got kicked out after writing...I dunno, something about the Mayor. So...yeah. Yeah, we’ll talk to Piper. Let’s...let’s go to Diamond City.”

Nick helped me strip the clothes off the man who killed my husband and gave me a rundown about his weapons and how to use the remaining stealth boys. We debated taking a strange chip that was sticking out of his...his brain...and finally, we agreed to go ahead, just in case we found a use for it. As I tried to fit everything into my bag his hand covered mine. I looked up to see a hopeful smile on his face, “Hey, chin up,” he murmured, “I know the night just got darker......but it won't last forever.”

I felt the air leave my lungs and my eyes began to burn...and yet? I found myself smiling at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Louvel is still getting used to having to murder people but with Kellogg? For once in her life, she wanted someone dead, and that's a heavy burden to bear.   
> Now, as for early in the chapter: I think it was always odd how little Ellie barely interacts with Nick and the Sole while she's talking about the case, so I moved some of Nick's dialogue to Ellie because I think she's a sweetheart that deserved more attention.  
> I'm not super good at talking about fighting? So I will probably skim over fighting if I can help it.  
> But anyway, that's all I have for now. Hopefully, I can get another chapter out soon?  
> Questions, comments, concerns...just wanna chat? Leave a comment and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can!  
> -JM


	4. Chapter 4

“Well, well, Nicky Valentine walks into my office for a change.”

Nick allowed me to enter before doffing his hat and turning to the reporter. “What can I say, Piper? You, me, and hard luck all seem to run together like acid rain down an old sewer.”

Piper waved a hand towards me, “You, uh, including your client here in that analogy?”

I shrugged.

She offered us the use of her couch and went to grab a notepad. “So, what’s the story? I know you two wouldn’t come to my office for a social call in the middle of the investigation if I wasn’t needed.”

I looked at Valentine, who nodded, and we began filling her in on what we’ve been up to, who I am...why I was even in the ‘Wealth. I let him take over talking about the newest addition to the case...

“Wait wait wait...Kellogg worked for the Institute? Hoo boy…” She rubbed at her face, careful not to bump her hat. “Sometimes they snatch people in the middle of the night. And sometimes they leave old synths behind to remind us that they're out there. But to this day, there's one thing nobody really knows…”

The Detective chimed in, “Where the Institute actually is. Or how to get in.”

Piper nodded, “Exactly. But there's one person who must know, right? The guy who just handed them Shaun.”

I chuckled, “Sure, let’s talk to him. Feel like holding a seance?”

Valentine huffed, “If only…”

We sat quietly for a moment before Piper leaned back and sighed, “So a murderer and a kidnapper gets his brains blown out by an avenging parent...It'd be a great ending if we didn't still have the biggest mystery in the Commonwealth to solve…”

I leaned forward, elbows resting on knees. “He wasn't going to talk. Even if I had a way of bringing him alive.” I heard my voice warble, though I was trying not to get upset again.  _ I just wanted to see my kid again...is that really too much to ask? _

The Detective mimicked my pose with a thoughtful hmm. “‘Gets his brains blown out…’” He brought a hand to his chin and stroked it a moment, “Huh...his brains. You know, we may not need the man at all.”

Piper gave him a bewildered look. “You're talking crazy here Nick. Got a fault in the ole' subroutines?”

Valentine waved his hand dismissively. “Look, there's a place in Goodneighbor called the Memory Den. Relive the past moments in your mind as clear as the day they happened. If anyone could get a dead brain to sing, it'll be Doctor Amari, the mind behind the memories.”

I looked at his hopeful smile again and felt myself returning it, “I hope you’re right...Nick.”

His smile widened at the use of his first name. “Let's see... I guess we're going to need a piece of Kellogg's brain. Enough gray matter to bring to Amari and find out if this is going to work…”

Piper waved her hands at him, trying to get him to stop talking. “Jesus, Nick... Gross! Seriously?”

“I know it's grisly, but what choice do we have?” He snapped, “We got no leads. Nothing. That old merc's brain just might have all the secrets we need to know.”

I touched a hand to my bag, “What about that thing Kellogg had...attached to his head?”

He held out a hand, “Lemme look it over again?” I handed it to him and he looked it over for a moment. “Hmmm, could be cybernetics. We may have just won the lottery.”

Piper was starting to look a little green around the gills, but she took a deep breath and turned to me. “Whether we're riding this crazy brain train or not, we can't all go running across the Commonwealth. So, who's coming with you?”

The Detective handed the chip back and shrugged, “I have to go to the Memory Den either way if I'm gonna introduce you to Amari. But if you want to head there together, just say so.”

I waited for him to meet my eye before saying, “It's you and me...Nick. All the way.”

His eyes seemed to brighten for just a moment as he smiled at me. “Let's get going, then.”

Piper talked quickly as she walked us to the door. I somehow got roped into doing an interview with Piper the next time I was in town, apparently, people were interested in the pre-war Vault Dweller currently fumbling her way through the Commonwealth...

We stepped outside, Piper promising to do some research for us while we’re out searching on foot. The Detective was marking Goodneighbor on my pipboy when I spotted Dogmeat peeking over the stairs. I whistled, letting him know where I was and waited for him to catch up to us. There was an answer to my note tucked into his pack.

I skimmed it over before looking up at Valentine. “...but first, I need to do my job. I gotta head back to Sanctuary for a check in...Cods gets worried when I’m gone for too long and Preston’s gotten word of a few settlements that need my attention.”

He nodded as I talked, looking thoughtfully to the side. “That’s fine, we’ll touch base with Ellie then head on to Sanctuary Hills for a bit. Let you make your rounds through the settlements, then make our way to Goodneighbor. Sound good?”

I paused in petting Dogmeat.  _ Didn’t expect that… _

“You’re willing to come with? Thank you…”

He smiled, “Don't worry. We're gonna get your boy back. Just a few more steps…”

* * *

 

Ellie slumped in relief as we entered the office. “Oh good...I know this was a fairly straightforward job, and now you have Louvel to watch your back but...well, I couldn’t help but worry a little.”

I dropped my bag by the desk and leaned down to give her a hug. “We may not have got what we wanted...but we got out alive and we might have a pretty good lead.”

She rolled her chair back so that she could turn and fully face us. “Take a seat, spill the beans.”

I sat in the client's chair; Valentine took Ellie’s usual seat and pulled out a cigarette. We quickly filled her in on the new information, pausing every so often to give her time to scribble it into my file. It felt...good, talking it through with so many people. The more information we found, the more ideas we had about how we could find the Institute...and then find Shaun. 

I was feeling more hopeful.

At some point, I ended up sitting on the floor, my back against a filing cabinet and Dogmeat’s head in my lap, my hand running down his back as I brought up being the General of the Minutemen. “For the past few weeks, all I’ve been doing is running around with Preston...helping people. And I don’t mind, not really, but sometimes I feel like he...like he doesn’t care if I find Shaun or not. Or at least...that he already believes my son’s dead, so he wants to focus on the living.”

The Detective spoke up, “Garvey right? He’s always been pretty dedicated to his work. He’s probably too scared that the Minutemen will fall apart again under his watch if he isn’t careful. We’ll make sure to help him some before continuing the case, yeah?”

I nodded, before realizing something and looking at Ellie. “Do you mind me stealing Mr. Valentine for a few weeks? I’ll give you the Minutemen frequency as soon as we get a radio up. Preston’s been looking for a good post for it, probably the Castle but that’ll be my call in the end.”

Ellie was laughing, “Don’t worry, I’ll be happy knowing you two are out on the road helping settlers. But send word before you head to Goodneighbor, yeah? I’ve been meaning to make a trip over there. I could meet you guys there?”

I tapped my boot against her leg, “will do.”

* * *

 

It was late afternoon when we were finally leaving Diamond City. There are a couple of settlements for us to check on our way to Sanctuary, mostly so I can set up trade routes with them, and after that, it’s a straight shot home. Valentine asked questions about my life before the vault, before Shaun, before David. I talked about my family: how my father was a lawyer, how he got shot when I was in high school because of a case he worked. “I was already on track to become a lawyer too, duel enrolling both my junior and senior years, but I always feared I’d meet the same end one day…”

“Jesus kid...yet you kept at it? Why not just...change majors? Go into a field that wouldn’t put you in constant harm's way.”

“What made you want to be a detective, even now when the world is...chaotic, when the people are so distrusting to you, to what you are...and yet you still feel compelled to do good, to  _ help _ .”

Valentine was silent for a moment, “It just...it felt right. It made sense for me to do what I could for those who needed me.”

I nodded, “It always made sense for  _ me  _ to be a lawyer. I was good at talking to people, good at finding information, and we always celebrated when dad finished a case, when or lose, to make up for not seeing him while he worked on it.”

“And your mom?”

“Housewife. She loved it, loved me. I have...had a sister, too. A couple years older. We never really saw eye-to-eye...she moved out to a farm with her husband, had two kids. We didn’t talk much after that. We just...didn’t mesh well, and too much was going on when I moved to college. Mom moved back to France to be with her sick mother, my grandmother...my namesake. God, I wonder what happened over there?”

Valentine was silent, his eyes focused on the road ahead of us.

* * *

 

One settlement set up with shiny new turrets and a new trading route later, I found myself talking about college. “I was best friends with my roommate and she had a class with him. We all hung out together, late night study sessions, food runs, vented our frustrations out. We started dating at some point, just felt natural honestly and...well, then he went to war. We sent letters, holotapes, whatever we could to keep in touch. Met up as soon as he was back in town and got hitched a year later. Had Shaun after three more.”

“How was he...after?”

I paused, watching Dogmeat sniff up ahead before continuing on down the road. Must have been a false trail. “He had PTSD, but we coped with it. He got angry sometimes...but he was such a softy, he never raised a hand to me. Just...his voice, sometimes.”

I felt those glowing eyes scanning my face, lingering on the scar above my eye.

I touched it, acknowledging the unvoiced question. “This was an accident. A toy slipped out of his grip…”

* * *

 

We took a break at the next settlement. Seems this one only needed a few more parts for water pumps, which I gladly handed over, and I offered to cook everyone food before heading out again. It was a smaller settlement, only three people, so it didn’t take me long to cook up enough for myself and the settlers, as well as prepare a little treat for Dogmeat before the sun fully set.

Valentine offered to keep watch as we ate. I didn’t feel it necessary, as the turret’s I’d helped built the last time I stopped by were all in working order, but he insisted and I wasn’t about to tell him what to do.

As I filled bowls with the stew, I could hear two of the settlers whispering. 

“What the hell is that...that  _ thing  _ doing here?” One asked. I bristled, doing my best not to snap at them.

The other glanced at Nick and shuttered, “If we just...ignore it, maybe it won’t kidnap us?”

_ That’s  _ **_it._ ** “Excuse me,” they whipped their eyes towards me, eyes wide with fear, “but if you’re going to disrespect my partner then maybe the Minutemen will withdraw their help. We wish to help people throughout the Commonwealth.  _ All _ people...not just the ones that look like us.”

One’s gaze fell to the ground, the other began to wave her hands frantically, “Oh! Oh please, miss...we didn’t mean no harm. We just...well…”

The other mumbled, “Synths are so scary...y’know?”

I stared at the two of them, letting them stew in shame for a moment before I offered them their food. “You’re right. I just fought off a small army of them earlier today...with  _ that synth _ ” I looked over to Nick, who was now blatantly eavesdropping, his mouth open in surprise, “-with that  _ man  _ by my side. And I would do it all again... _ will _ do it all again...because I trust him.”

I watched him flounder a moment as he realized I was watching him. He cleared his throat and turned back to face the trees. If he could blush...I think he would be.

I smiled at the settlers, “I know all about being scared of what’s out there. But if you trust in anything, trust in  _ me _ , and know that I would not keep company with anyone who wishes you harm.”

The settlers shuffled over to their shack and began to eat, glancing at me every few minutes with small smiles and nervous nods.

I filled my own bowl finally and called out that there was plenty left for seconds should anyone want any and ambled over to Valentine. “Sorry about them.”

He jumped, turned to look at the settlers than me. “Oh! Uh...yeah. I’m...I’m used to that. I’m sorry you had to deal with it too. I don’t want the Minutemen to suffer just cause the General is runnin’ around with an old bot like me.”

I laughed, “If there’s a settlement that wants to fight me over trusting you...the Minutemen doesn’t want them. Cause sometimes I’m gonna ask them to save people like you...and I want to trust those around me to do it.”

I could hear the surprised gasps from the settlers as Valentine let out a chuckle. “Kid, I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find  _ anyone  _ who wants to help uh... _ people like me. _ ”

I paused in eating, holding my bowl tightly as I bumped into his arm with my shoulder. “I’ll find them, Nicky.”

“And when you do I’ll eat my hat.”

We stood in companionable silence. I could hear the settlers gossiping quietly behind us. Quiet, judgmental whispers that...well, I’d gotten used to long before stepping into the Vault. I took a moment to clean my bowl and bid everyone a good night before gearing up again and waving for Valentine to follow.

* * *

 

Valentine kept side-eying me as we walked. 

“Got a problem, Valentine?”

“Just trying to figure out when you’re taking a break.” 

“We’ve got another five hours of walking ahead of us before we get there. Why stop when I’m almost home?”

He stepped in front of me and stopped, leaving me the option to pause or plow past...and I wasn’t about to do that. “Because we’ve already been on the road for about ten, give or take. You didn’t rest at either settlement, not really. You just stopped walking long enough to tinker with some machines.”

I waved for Dogmeat to scout ahead, glaring up at the Detective. “I want to get home, Valentine. Who cares if I push myself a little so I can get there sooner?”

His head tilted a bit like he thought it was obvious. “I do, kid.”

I paused at that. Sure, I’d been fairly quick to jump to his defense. I knew he had my back, that he wanted to follow this case util the end. “I…” I could see it now. I could see it but... _ God _ , I had to know for sure. “Are we...are we friends, Nick?”

He was floored by that. He laughed. “Jesus kid...didn’t realize I’d have to spell it out.” He looked around, noting that Dogmeat was back and sitting at our feet. Nothing dangerous must have been around then. “Let’s find somewhere to rest for a bit and chat, yeah?”

I followed quietly as Nick scouted out a few buildings until he found one he deemed ‘mostly together’ and set up shop. I set up traps on the doors before following him into a back room. There were a few bones in the corner on a sleeping bag. I did my best to ignore it as I cleaned up two chairs and posted us near the window so we could keep watch as we talked. I knew there was a couple of raider groups that liked to hunt around here for supplies and didn’t want to get caught with our pants down.

“So...is something wrong?”

He sat back in his chair, lighting a cigarette and taking a moment to organize his thoughts. “Let’s start with...well, I sort of had a question. It’s just...with everything that’s happened with you, your family. It’s a whole hell of a lot to process. I wanted to make sure you’re holding up alright.”

“I’m f-”

“I’ve only been around you for a couple days and I can see you’ve got a good way with people. And I know you’ve been...well, doing your best for the past few weeks. But…” He took a long drag and waved towards the window, “...just the past few hours have told me how little you’ve been doing for yourself.”

I busied myself with getting a can of dog food open for Dogmeat to snack on while we rested. He wasn’t going to let me just ‘fine’ my way out of this…I sighed, “Doesn’t really matter. I’m here now. I’ve just...got to deal with that.”

He nodded, “Good attitude to have. Not the way I felt. Took me a long damn time to get a feel for this place. Thank goodness I found Diamond City. It's got its flaws, sure, but it beats the hell out of anywhere else in the Commonwealth. Course, when I took up there back when, people were just as scared of the Institute as they are now, maybe more.” He tapped out the cigarette and reached into his pocket before shaking his head and leaving the pack alone. 

I made a note to find him a new one. From my count, he only had a few left. 

“The massacre of the CPG was still pretty fresh in people's minds at that point, and folks were still losing sleep over the Broken Mask. Plenty of people assumed I was just a saboteur, moving in to melt down the reactor or poison the drinking water. But, at the time, they couldn't exactly turn me away.”

I had...so many questions after that but I wanted to learn more about Nick right now...and anything that had the word  _ massacre _ wasn’t going to be pleasant to hear about. “Why’d they let you in, then?”

“Because I'd rescued the mayor's daughter.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “The ol’ damsel in distress routine, huh?”

He smiled wide, “Gal of about fifteen, pride and joy of the mayor back then, a man by the name of Henry Roberts. The young miss Roberts decided she'd run off with some caravan hand she'd uh... _ known _ for an evening.” He rubbed his neck absentmindedly, embarrassed. “Turns out the guy was part of a gang of kidnappers. I didn't even know who I was rescuing, just stumbled on a crying girl and four toughs.”

“You took down four guys by yourself?”

“Didn't have to.” He chuckled a bit, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “Back then? Synths were even  _ more  _ of an unknown quantity than they are today. I told them I was rigged to explode and started going ‘beep, beep, beep.’” He sat up again, his eyes going into the middle distance.

I couldn’t help but laugh. He paused in his beeping and joined in, leaning back over. “Hardest part of that rescue was keeping from laughing as they climbed over each other to get away.” He shook his head, curling his exposed hand and inspecting the joints. “I took her home and the Mayor dubbed me a hero, offered me a place in town. Lots of folks protested...said I was a spy, but he wouldn't have it. Taking up in the city was tricky at first, but I never tried to hide what I was and people seemed to warm to that.”

We sat quietly for a moment. “Why would you stay in a place where you clearly weren't wanted?” I was shocked at how soft my voice sounded.

He shrugged, “There were times I seriously considered going. I started off doing the jobs no one else wanted. I got more banged up being Diamond City's handyman than I ever did living out in the ruins. But I guess folks never forgot I rescued the Mayor's daughter, so they started coming to me when people went missing. Wife runs off with a new paramour and takes the rent money with her? Talk to the Synth. An upset father decides moving him and the kids to Goodneighbor in the dead of night's not the worst damn idea since the bomb? Go get Nick.” 

There was a weariness to his tone that I caught. Something I could relate to. Running around as the General was rewarding but…so damn tiring sometimes. 

“After a while, the jobs got so backed up, they didn't even ask me to do the handyman stuff anymore. Hell, I was so happy to do it, it was months before I started charging anyone. I never stopped being Nick the Synth, but it was Nick the detective folks came to see. It was about then that things, things finally started feeling normal. It took me a long time to realize that home is where you make it. With some time and effort, this place can be home for you, too. Long story, but I hope it helps.”

“You’ve been helping me from day one, Valentine.”  _ God my voice was soft _ ...why the hell was it so quiet? Why was I smiling so sweetly at him?

He paused for a moment. “You...called me Nick a coupl’ve times by now...kinda figured you’d finally switched your preferences after all that shit with Kellogg…”

Dogmeat sneezed from under my chair, seemingly laughing at the situation. I thought back to Piper’s, how his name had been almost a comfort to me. “I...yeah, I guess I did. I...well.” I laughed at the absurdity of it. “Would you rather I call you Nick?”

He shook his head, smiling at me. His eyes glowing almost...brighter. “I want you to be comfortable enough to call me friend. Whether that falls under Valentine or Nick...I want you to trust that I have your back, that you don’t have to be surrounded by settlers to rest easy. If we’re in this for the long haul...we’re not always going to be able to hunker down in a city, or even a settlement. I know we haven’t known each other long but…” He instinctively reached for his pocket again and frowned. Nick shook his head and looked me in the eye again. “I want your trust, and I want you to start taking care of yourself. For Shaun’s sake, at the very least.”

I was speechless.

Ever since I stepped out of the Vault I’d been pulled this way and that by Preston, by settlers, by  _ strangers  _ to help them. Help them with raiders, mutants, goddamn  _ synths  _ even. And here was one man, one  _ synth _ reminding me to take care of  _ myself _ . I felt the tears rolling down my cheek but didn’t care. “Of course I trust you, Nick. It’s you and me...all the way.”

He stood then, putting a hand on my shoulder before sweeping down and grabbing my bag off the floor. “Then let’s get you set up. I’ll take watch. You  _ rest. _ ”

I’d had trouble falling asleep in the Commonwealth. Everything was different, the smell, the sound...everything about this strange new world put me on edge. Even if we had made it home and I’d been curled up in a real bed instead of a sleeping bag...I probably still would have had trouble finding sleep.

But in this crumbling building, tucked away in a corner...I watched Nick take his place again by the window and felt safe. I was asleep in minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. That took way too long. Sorry about that, I had like...very little creative energy recently. But I was able to slowly chip away at this story for a few days and got enough together for a chapter. I might rewrite it to be in third person...cause first isn't really my thing but I thought I'd give it a try? We'll see. I'll keep you readers updated if I do!  
> Anyway...  
> Questions, Comments, Concerns? Just wanna chat? Post below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!  
> -JM

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I'll do my best to get another chapter out in a week or so, maybe less depending on my schedule.  
> Questions, comments, concerns...just wanna chat? Leave a comment and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can!  
> -JM


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